The French team won their second match against Canada (46-19) by securing the offensive bonus point, and even though they played a better game than against Japan, they were not convincing.
The French, apparently hindered by the weather conditions, had a lot of trouble getting into the game. They seemed sluggish, imprecise, and nervous, making numerous handling errors under the pressure kicks from the Canadians, allowing the latter to stay close in score for over an hour.
Despite all, our players managed to stay united and focused on keeping the ball, showing patience that was eventually rewarded by Traille’s try in the 64th minute. This achievement had a double effect: it freed our players and overwhelmed the Canadians, who ended up collapsing in the final minutes of the match, allowing Clerc to score two additional tries, which secured the bonus point for us.
These first two matches demonstrate that the French team lacks confidence; they can doubt very quickly and find themselves in trouble against any opponent. But for the next encounter, we will don our favorite guise of being the underdog, and a good performance against the All Blacks would have a very positive impact for the rest of the competition.
